John t



(No Model.)

' J. T. BON.

FOLDING TABLE.

Patented Aug. 9, 1887;

INVENTUR T i %v/ m,

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEO JOHN T. BON, O-F SY RAGUSE, N EIV YORK.

FOILDING TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,055, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed March 24. 1887.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. BoN, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the Stateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of a folding table embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 isa vertical transverse section on line as m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached isometric view of the metallic socket by which the leg is detachably secured to the table-top. Fig. 4- is an isometric end view of one of the legs, and Fig. 5 is a detached plan View of the legs in their folded position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to the class of tables which have their legs adapted to be folded bination of parts,as hereinafterfully described,

and specificallyset forth inthe claims.

In the annexed drawings, Tdenotes the top of the table, which is a rigid leaf stiffened by the so-called bed-pieces G O, secured to the under side of said leaf. I do not, however, limit my invention to the use of the aforesaid bed-pieces and the usual side rails on the aforesaid leaf, inasmuch as a plain leaf or board of sufficient rigidity may be removably mounted on the legs.

Z Z Z I represent the legs, which are firmly connected in pairs by two sets of diagonal horizontal cross-bars, e e and c e, which are rigidly attached at their ends to the upper and lower portions of the legs, and are pivoted radially and in common to a central support consisting of a single vertical bar, 0, formed with trunnions on its ends, which trunnions pass through holes in the aforesaid bars 0 c e c, in the center of the lengths thereof. Said pivotal support allows the legs to be folded in pairs, closely side by side,as represented in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The upper ends of the legs extend above the upper cross-bars e e, and by spreading the legs from each other they Serial No. 232,215. (No model.)

can be brought into proper positions to support the solid top T directly on the ends of the legs, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2 of. the drawings. The legs being securely united by the cross-bars pivoted to one and the same vertical pivot-bar, 0,renders this structure firm and self-supporting without the aid of the top, and, inasmuch as'the top is solid or a single rigid plate, it can be readily mounted on the ends of the legs, and the table can be used forsome purposes without fastening the top to the legs. The folding of the table for storage or transportation is also effected with the greatest facility. The attachment of the legs to the top leaf or top frame, when desired, can be made in various ways, and I therefore do not limit myself specifically in this respect. I deem, however,the following devicesthe best adapted for the purpose. I employ expansible metallic sockets, which are, each divided vertically into two sections, a and a. The section a, I rigidly secure either to the bed-piece O, as shown,'or to any other suitable part of the under side of the top leaf or top frame, and the other section, A, which constitutes the cap of the socket, I detachably secure to the stationary section a by a suitable clamp, which tion of the other section, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The leg is secured to the socket by loosening the clamp so as to allow thesocket to be distended sufficiently to readily receive the upper end of theleg. Then by tightening the clamp the socket is made to firmly grip the leg and hold the same attached to the table-top.

Vhen the clamp consists of the bolt 1', I pro- -vide the upper end of the leg with a vertical slot, cl, so as to allow the leg to be withdrawn from the socket without necessitating the complete removal of the bolt '5,- and in order to compensate for the weakening of the attaching end of the leg by the aforesaid slot I pro vide the interior of the socket with inward projecting lugs c c, which enter the slot d of the leg when attached, and prevent said. portion of the leg from being compressed by pressure ot the socket against the sides of the leg when the latter is subjected to lateral strain.

I am aware that prior to my invention tablelegs have been pivoted in common toacentral support; but hitherto either the central support or one set of the legs were permanently attached to the under side of the top of the table and entailed a more complicated and expensive construction, and the legs when damaged or broken are not so readily replaced as in my improved folding table, in which the top is mounted removably on all the legs and free from the central support thereof.

\Vhat Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved folding table composed of the two sets of cross-bars, e c and c c, pivoted to one and the same vertical pivot-bar 0, formed at opposite ends with trunnions passing through the aforesaid cross-bars, the legs Z Z Z Z, rigidly secured to the ends of the cross bars and extending above the same, and the solid top T, mounted removabl y on the upper ends of the legs, all constructed and combined substantially in the manner specified and shown.

2. In a folding table, the combination of the legs pivoted in pairs and in common to a central support, the top mounted removably on said legs and free from the central support, sockets secured stationary to the under side of the top and adapted to receive the upper ends of the legs, and caps clamped removably on the sides of said ends of the legs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the top leaf or frame, legs secured to the ends of diagonal horizontal cross-bars connected together at their centers by a vertical pivot, vertically-divided sockets secured to said leaf or frame and adapted to receive the upper ends of the legs, and clamps for tightening the socket-sections on the legs, substantially as described and shown.

4; The combination, with the top frame, of the legs ZZZZ, connected together by the l1orizontal crossbars e c and c c, the vertical pivotbar 0, connected with the crossbars at the center, and the metallic sockets composed of the sections a a, adapted to receive between them the upper ends of the legs, and clamps for tightening the sockets on the legs, substantially as described and shown.

5. The within described clamping-socket composed of the stationary section a and removable section a, provided, respectively,with overlapping lugs b b, and the clamping-bolt 77, passing transversely through the soeket'sections, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto signed my name and affixed my seal, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county ofOnond aga, in the State of NewYork.

JOHN T. BON. [L s] \Vitnesscs:

ll. 1. DENTSON, G. E. ToMLINsoN. 

